#20 Great Movies Directed By Women in 2020

This article is part of our 2020 Rewind. Follow along as we explore the best and most interesting movies, shows, performances, and more from this very strange year. In this entry, we highlight essential movies from 2020 directed by women.

It’s obvious by now that the gender of a filmmaker, writer, lead actor, or anyone else involved doesn’t determine a movie’s greatness. But it’s also obvious that women filmmakers still face industry hurdles that their male peers don’t — chief among them dramatic under-representation in the field — and that one way to combat this issue is by showing up consistently for talented women filmmakers.

It’s a shame that a year that seems to have produced more creative work from women filmmakers than ever is also a year that, for much of the world, didn’t involve a lot of going to the movie theater. There’s good news, though: we can watch great movies with women at the helm any day of the week from the comfort of our homes.

This list looks a little different than one might’ve imagined it would at the outset of 2020, mostly because of COVID-19’s impact on America’s release schedule. Several highly-anticipated new films like Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, Rose Glass’ Saint Maud, and Janicza Bravo’s Zola are now expected in 2021. Meanwhile, already-beloved festival films like Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby and Zoé Wittock’s Jumbo haven’t been released yet, and one of the year’s biggest films, Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984, will debut on HBO Max (as well as in theaters) on Christmas day.

All disclaimers aside, 2020 was still a hell of a year for women behind the camera. This list could’ve easily been several pages longer than it already is. Being a true film lover means always seeking out new and diverse on-screen perspectives, so let’s do that together with this list of twenty fantastic new woman-directed films.

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The 40-Year-Old Version

Radha Blank’s black-and-white comedic breakout has a strong voice and a great sense of humor. The movie follows a New York City playwright, also named Radha, who struggles to make her mark while the shadow of her forties looms. The 40-Year-Old Version shows us many versions of Radha: the put-upon acting teacher, the tokenized playwright, the loving daughter, the prickly friend and lover, and the scrappy would-be rapper, RadhaMUS Prime. The film blossoms steadily over its two-hour runtime, but it grows into its own. By the end, you’ll be wishing for a sequel or TV series — anything to spend more time with Blank’s unique and unapologetic vision.

The 40-Year-Old Version is currently streaming on Netflix.

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The Assistant

Kitty Green’s The Assistant builds like a scream in the back of your throat, the kind that dies before you can give it breath. It’s a movie about the Harvey Weinsteins of the world that never gives its monster a face; instead, it brings him to life through a series of haunting clues: a stray earring, a stained couch, a set of standard excuses. It answers the question “how could a woman work for someone like that?” with the most gut-churning truth imaginable, which is that even violence can be made routine and mundane. Julia Garner is fantastic as the producer’s new assistant, Jane, while Matthew Macfayden gives an excellent performance in one stunning integral scene.

The Assistant is currently streaming on Hulu and Kanopy.

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Babyteeth

Shannon Murphy’s unorthodox, indelible romantic drama sets fire to the teen-with-a-terminal-illness subgenre to imagine something more brutal and beautiful than any of its contemporaries. When chemo patient Milla (Eliza Scanlen) meets a displaced junkie named Moses (Toby Wallace), he quickly becomes the only person that can make her happy. Her distracted psychiatrist father (Ben Mendelsohn) and overmedicated mother (Essie Davis) humor her infatuation, and soon Moses becomes inextricably linked to the dysfunctional family. Babyteeth is a singular movie, full of surprising and evocative moments that will linger long after the credits roll.

Babyteeth is currently streaming on Hulu.

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Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Cathy Yan’s take on DC’s most stylish punk-psycho is equal parts glitter and gore, and it’s also hands down one of the most fun movies of the year. The film benefits from a stacked cast, a wryly funny script, and truly epic fight choreography. Every inch of Birds of Prey also feels intentionally and thoughtfully feminist in a way that no other superhero film has, from a soundtrack featuring solely female artists to a plot that revolves around finding one’s agency after an unhealthy relationship to that now-famous scrunchy handoff scene. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is an unruly lady who basks in every aspect of her strong personality, even — maybe especially — the parts that piss off men like Romano Solanis (Ewan McGregor). Many DC fans were openly hostile to the film before it was even released, but those who love it love it hard, and it’s well worth watching for comic book lovers and laypeople alike.

Birds of Prey is currently streaming on HBO and HBO Max.

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Black is King

Beyonce’s latest visual album didn’t garner the massive cultural response of past works like Lemonade and Homecoming, perhaps due to its release in the middle of the dog days of COVID summer, but it’s a rich text and a feat of visual magnificence nonetheless. The film, which is accompanied by songs from the artist’s album The Lion King: The Gift, tells the story of an African prince (Folajomi Akinmurele) who must reconcile his own identity with his role as an heir. Beyonce’s ever-sprawling vision is entrenched in African tradition and celebrates the history of the diaspora from ancestral times through to the modern-day. Every part of Black is King deserves a scholarly level of attention, but the segment “Brown Skin Girls,” directed by Jenn Nkiru, is especially transcendent.

Black is King is currently streaming on Disney+.

Circus of Books

This surprisingly sweet documentary takes viewers inside a historic mom and pop gay porn shop –emphasis on the mom and pop part. Circus of Books is directed by Rachel Mason, whose parents, Karen and Barry Mason, opened the store that would eventually become a fixture of the West Hollywood queer scene and the country’s biggest distributor of gay adult materials. With Circus of Books in danger of closing, Mason interviews her parents, current and former store employees (including drag star Alaska!), and figures like Hustler publisher Larry Flynt. The story she spotlights goes beyond that of an unassuming elderly straight couple selling porn in a digital world. By the film’s end, Circus of Books has given us a seminal lesson in queer culture that includes personal perspectives on the AIDS epidemic, a look at the long history of criminalized sexuality, and the Mason family’s own emotional coming out stories.

Circus of Books is currently streaming on Netflix.

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Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham’s Crip Camp is a marvelous, multi-faced portrait of self-determination that doubles as a clear and resounding call for marginalized people to be given the chance to tell their own stories. Built around incredible, joyous footage taken at Camp Jened in the ‘70s, Crip Camp tells the story of a political movement that was sparked by a utopic idea of a collaborative, disability-friendly community. Camp Jened’s ideology was simple: the summer camp was exclusively geared towards disabled teens, allowing them to safely explore the era’s free-spirited culture, all while having each of their individual needs met. Long after Camp Jened’s doors closed, its alums were making waves, pioneering the disability rights movement that has led to major legislation including the Americans With Disabilities Act. In an era that’s rife with social justice documentaries, Crip Camp is an essential watch.

Crip Camp is currently streaming on Netflix.

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Dick Johnson is Dead

Kirsten Johnson’s latest documentary, Dick Johnson is Dead, is personal in its subject and grandiose in its scale, attempting to capture the absurdity of death while also creating a portrait of the artist’s father, psychologist Richard “Dick” Johnson. The elder Johnson is suffering from dementia, a condition that worsens as the film goes on. He’s also committed to his daughter’s filmmaking, and together the two decide to imagine his demise, again and again, creating bloody and bleak faux death scenes with a streak of black humor and melodramatic flair. The conceit gets tougher when Johnson’s health begins to deteriorate, but the documentarian never stops capturing her father with love, pathos, and curiosity, creating a living memorial for the man she loves, as well as a testament to life itself.

Dick Johnson is Dead is currently streaming on Netflix.

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First Cow

Kelly Reichardt’s latest is a gentle, exhilarating, and deeply lovable take on the ever-unreachable American Dream. First Cow tells the story of introverted chef Cookie (John Magaro) and Chinese immigrant King-Lu (Orion Lee), who cultivate a companionship after they meet on their way to the Oregon Territory in 1820. The two soon set up shop at a burgeoning outpost, where they come across a neglected dairy cow belonging to a wealthy man. As usual, Reichardt brings the texture of history to life, from the rough furs of the town’s trappers to the sweet, crumbling cakes that fuel the central pair’s dreams of making their way to San Francisco. First Cow is a beautiful meditation on companionship, but it’s also a memorably melancholy look at what it truly means to be an outsider.

First Cow is currently streaming on Showtime.

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I’m Your Woman

Last year, Julia Hart brought us Fast Color, an exhilarating, character-driven genre film. This year she trades in superhero sci-fi for a 1970s crime thriller, to equally satisfying results. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan stars as Jean, a housewife whose life is turned upside down when her husband brings home a baby and then promptly disappears. When her husband’s shady dealings come to light, Jean is forced to raise the child on the run and mostly alone, leading to an atmosphere of paranoia and maternal isolation. Stylish and sleek, with great supporting turns by Arinzé Kene and Marsha Stephanie Blake, I’m Your Woman is an enthralling throwback and an impressive chapter in an always-interesting filmmaker’s career.

I’m Your Woman is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Kajillionaire

It should be no surprise that one of the year’s weirdest and best films comes from Miranda July, an artist with an utterly unique sense of the world. Kajillionaire turns the quirk level up to eleven, but a deep vein of empathy lies under its surface-level oddity. The movie follows a family of poor scammers living in earthquake-prone LA whose lives take a turn when they meet a stranger, played by Gina Rodriguez, who embraces the most unorthodox parts of their lifestyle. Evan Rachel Wood stars as Old Dolio, a gruff-voiced, awkward young adult who is unable to grow up since she never really got a childhood in the first place. Wood and Rodriguez are a fantastic odd couple that makes the story’s strange, lovely heart beat.

Kajillionaire is currently available on VOD.

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Lingua Franca

Writer-director-star Isabel Sandoval breathes life into an often-politicized narrative with her intimate, humane portrait of a transgender, undocumented Filipina woman. Sandoval herself plays Olivia, a caregiver who saves up money to pay for a green card marriage and sends an allowance to her mother abroad. Many stories centering on trans characters focus on intolerance and violence, but Lingua Franca is aching and romantic. When Olivia meets her elderly client’s troubled grandson, Alex (Eamon Farren), real feelings develop, leaving Olivia at a crossroads, her vulnerable heart cracked open for him.

Lingua Franca is currently streaming on Netflix.

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The Lodge

The Lodge is a slow-burn horror film that buries its viewers in an oppressively bleak atmosphere as heavy and inescapable as a blizzard’s snowfall. Fans of Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz’s Goodnight Mommy should expect nothing less, but even the most unshakable genre fans might catch themselves flinching at this perfectly nasty piece of work. The Lodge is a film that plays best if you go in blind, but it’s safe to say that the plot involves a secluded winter vacation from hell. Riley Keough is at her career-best as the potentially shady temporary guardian of her boyfriend’s two children, who are played by Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh. If you finish The Lodge and still possess the will to live, try a double feature with recent thematic and aesthetic companions like Hereditary or The Lighthouse.

The Lodge is currently streaming on Hulu.

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Miss Americana

The rare music documentary that comes across less as manufactured PR (although it succeeded in an image-molding capacity, too) and more like an authentic, confessional autobiography, Miss Americana is much more than just a Taylor Swift documentary. The film hones in on society’s relationship to celebrities and young women in particular, exploring the misogyny, judgment, and dehumanization that becomes a part of the package for the uber-famous among us in a social media age. Through documentarian Lana Wilson’s eyes, Swift appears to be a fiery feminist, a painfully self-critical perfectionist, and a dorky-cool girl whose unusual life experiences are both unavoidably isolating and creatively inspiring. Then, just when we think it couldn’t get better, Miss Americana skillfully reveals Swift as a political progressive who isn’t afraid to get on President Trump’s bad side.

Miss Americana is currently streaming on Netflix.

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Miss Juneteenth

Channing Godfrey Peoples makes an auspicious directorial debut with Miss Juneteenth, a small-town story about a mother who wants the world for her daughter. Nicole Beharie stars as Turquoise, a single mom with a rocky past who dreams of her daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze), winning the Miss Juneteenth pageant — and the significant scholarship that goes with it — just as she did as a teen. Kai’s rebellion and disinterest fuel much of the story, but Miss Juneteenth is less about a plot than a feeling. The film perfectly captures the gap between a mother’s intentions and a daughter’s autonomy, a teen-parent rift that can at times feel insurmountable. The movie feels lived-in in the best way, forgoing any type of easy cinematic lesson and instead presenting a well-acted, simply written slice-of-life drama.

Miss Juneteenth is currently streaming on Kanopy.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Despite its well-deserved acclaim, subtle abortion drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always isn’t exactly an easy film to sit through. Eliza Hittman’s story about two teen girls crossing state lines so that one can terminate a pregnancy is at times suffocatingly heavy, but it’s also remarkable in its ability to cultivate powerful moments. Sidney Flanigan’s performance as Autumn is a quiet revelation, especially in the emotionally raw scene that gives the film its title. With a sure directorial hand, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is perhaps best processed as a series of impressionistic, unforgettable images: a drugstore pregnancy test, a bruised stomach, and two pinky fingers desperately intertwined.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always is currently streaming on HBO and HBO Max.

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Nomadland

In recent years, Chloé Zhao has proven herself one of the foremost directors of rural life, an artist who can translate the rarely-witnessed truths of America’s forgotten parts. Nomadland crystallizes this vision with the sprawling, humane saga of Fern (Frances McDormand), a widow who chooses to live an impermanent lifestyle of gig jobs and van living. McDormand shares much of her screen time with real-life nomads, whose wisdom, practicality, and heartbreak shine through on screen. Nomadland presents the winding road of life with verisimilitude and little commentary, but America’s capitalistic failures are apparent in every stitch of the story. Among its many treasures, Nomadland also features a beautiful score, wistful cinematography, and pockets of real humor and joy.

Nomadland ran an awards-qualifying theatrical engagement and will be released more widely on February 19, 2021.

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Papicha

Mounia Meddour’s Algerian civil war-set coming-of-age film follows a group of tenacious young college women who buck public calls for religious traditionalism, stubbornly forging their own path despite the growing danger. Lyna Khoudri (who has landed a well-deserved role in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch) makes a major impression here as Nedjma, an amateur fashion designer and the friend group’s fiery ringleader. With its themes of resistance in the face of oppression and feigned normalcy in the face of looming disaster, Papicha is horrifyingly fitting for an American audience in 2020, but it also offers a rarely seen, beautifully developed portrait of Algerian culture.

Papicha is currently available on VOD.

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Sea Fever

Believe it or not, one of the timeliest films of the year is a maritime sci-fi/horror feature about a fishing boat stuck off the coast of Ireland. Neasa Hardiman’s Sea Fever is a biological horror flick that also happens to ask hard questions about the ethics of virus prevention and quarantine. When young scientist Siobhan (Hermione Corfield) takes a spot on a fishing boat to study local fauna, she gets more than she bargained for as the boat’s crew is soon exposed to a contagious biological substance. Obvious and uncanny COVID-19 parallels aside, Sea Fever is a wonderfully claustrophobic ocean-set thriller that’s chock-full of surprises, including an all-time-great ending.

Sea Fever is currently streaming on Hulu and Hoopla.

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Shirley

Erotic, entrancing, and dripping with an eerie atmosphere, Shirley is one of the year’s most all-encompassing cinematic experiences. The film by Josephine Decker is based on a fictionalized version of famed horror writer Shirley Jackson’s life, but its period details are so devilishly accurate that you’d be forgiven for initially mistaking it for a true story. Elisabeth Moss stars as the moody, clever, and unpredictable author, while Odessa Young plays Rose, the young married student who takes a job in the Jackson household and soon becomes enraptured by her host. Logan Lerman and Michael Stuhlbarg complete the other half of the equation as Rose’s and Shirley’s husbands, and soon the four become entangled in a web of flirtation, intellectual exchange, paranoia, and perhaps even crime. Few films convey mood as strongly as Shirley, which revels in the heady intensity of its impassioned subject. Though it’s not actually based on one of her works, Shirley may just be the truest translation of Shirley Jackson’s writing ever put to screen.

Shirley is currently streaming on Hulu.

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Want to watch even more 2020 films by women? Check these out: Regina King’s One Night in Miami…, Tayarisha Poe’s Selah and the Spades, Alice Wu’s The Half of It, Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, The Fight, co-directed by Elyse Steinberg, Numa Perrier’s Jezebel, My Octopus Teacher, co-directed by Pippa Ehrlich, Jessica Forever, co-directed by Caroline Poggi, On the Record, co-directed by Amy Ziering, Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s Unpregnant, Clea DuVall’s Happiest Season, Natalie Erika James’ Relic, Autumn de Wilde’s Emma., and Karen Maine’s Yes, God, Yes.